Bon What?
by Trubie74
Summary: In which Darcy takes Steve and Bucky to a Bon Jovi concert. (Larger Summary Inside)


**Summary:** Less than a minute in and Bucky was tapping his fingers along to the beat. Three minutes and he was gladly singing along with her to the chorus, the both of them horrendously off key.

She could see by the look on his face in the rearview mirror that Steve wasn't convinced, but that was okay. So he didn't quite like Livin' on a Prayer. That was fine (not really). She could work with that. It'd grow on him for sure. Plus she still had an ipod full of hits and an hour and forty-five minutes to go. She'd convert him eventually.

In which Darcy takes Steve and Bucky to a Bon Jovi concert.

 **Disclaimer:** Everything belongs to Marvel.

* * *

 **Bon What?**

Darcy bounced eagerly from foot to foot as she waited for someone to answer.

 _Please let them be free, please let them be free, please let them be free..._

 _Finally!_

The door swung open to reveal Steve in all his sweaty glory, probably fresh from what he liked to consider a light jog but what most sane americans would call a marathon. Darcy would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little jealous. Blinking down at her in surprise, a genuine smile slid across his face.

"Hey Darce, what's up?"

"Steve! Steve, _thank god_ _you're home._ Is Barnes here?" she peered wide-eyed around his arm, trying to get a better view into their living room. Bucky raised an eyebrow at her from his position on the couch. Shirtless in just a pair of basketball shorts and sneakers, he was lounging on the corner seat, arm thrown over the top and feet kicked up on the coffee table.

"Oh great! Fabulous! What are you guys doing tonight?" her eyes flitted excitedly back and forth between the two of them.

"Uh, not much?" Steve scratched the back of his head, glancing over his shoulder at Bucky. "Probably just going to stay in, maybe watch a movie. Why?"

"Do you want to see Bon Jovi with me?" Darcy gushed.

"Bon what?" Bucky spoke up, a look of confusion sweeping across his features.

"Bon Jovi. It's a band. An absolutely wonderful band which is playing up at Bethel Woods tonight and Tony had three tickets for him, Rhodey, and Pepper but some S.I. thing came up and Rhodey doesn't want to go without them. And Erik let slip to Tony yesterday that I _love_ Jon Bon Jovi, he's the lead singer, so he just gave me the tickets at breakfast this morning! Can you believe that? Seriously, the guy's like my eccentric, billionaire, fairy godmother. So now I have three tickets and I need concert buddies. You wanna be my concert buddies?" She waggled her eyebrows at them with a grin. Originally, she'd planned to sell this to them with a little more finesse... but she was just so excited! It'd all come pouring out in a rush. Oh well.

She'd have asked Jane and Thor, but her favorite space Viking was away for the duration, leaving Janie trapped in a desperate attempt to science binge the longing away until his return. Nothing short of a nuclear detonation would drag the astrophysicist out of her lab now. So the Brooklyn boys it was.

Steve quirked his lips, "I don't know Darcy, don't you want to go with people who can fully appreciate it? We've never even heard of them." He stepped aside, sweeping his arm in a 'welcome' gesture. She smiled and padded past him.

"Oh please, what better way to pop your musical cherry than a concert? It'll be fun! Besides, we can listen to their greatest hits on the way, get you guys up to par."

Coming to a stop next to Bucky, he looked amusedly up at her as she repeatedly poked him in the metal arm. "Whaddaya say Robocop? Take the plunge?"

He shared one of their 'silent conversation' looks with Steve, who had moved to lean casually against the wall across from them, arms folded. Turning back he caught her finger mid-poke, gracing her with a smirk. "Sure doll, sounds good. When do we leave?" Darcy managed to refrain from squealing in excitement, but it was a near thing. _"Awesome."_ Freeing her finger, she clapped her hands together, using them to gesture between the two. "Okay the opening band comes on at seven, so we should probably leave around four? Ish? It's a bit of a road trip."

The two hour drive up was an experience Darcy was never likely to forget.

For starters, Bucky had insisted on driving.

Insisting being the polite way of saying he'd snatched the keys to the sedan out of Steve's hand, then stared him down when the blonde had tried to protest and take them back. What followed devolved into one of the most laughable excuses for an argument Darcy had ever seen. The two bickered like some weird cross between third graders and an old married couple. She hadn't known there were so many ways to fondly call someone an idiot. Steve relented finally when Darcy couldn't contain her mirth anymore, bursting into a fit of giggles. Shaking his head with a well worn smile, he took the high road, opting for the back seat so Darcy could run the radio.

Waiting until they'd hit the highway to really kick off their epic road trip with a classic, Darcy cranked up Livin' on a Prayer.

Less than a minute in and Bucky was tapping his fingers along to the beat. Three minutes and he was gladly singing along with her to the chorus, the both of them horrendously off key.

She could see by the look on his face in the rearview mirror that Steve wasn't convinced, but that was okay. So he didn't quite like Livin' on a Prayer. That was fine (not really). She could work with that. It'd grow on him for sure. Plus she still had an ipod full of hits and an hour and forty-five minutes to go. She'd convert him eventually.

Several songs and a heated debate about the merits of 80s hair bands later, she knew she had him when Wanted Dead or Alive came on. It was the look in his eye, she could just tell. Steve was a classics kind of guy, as well as a man who had a healthy appreciation for motorcycles. This song was clearly doing it for him like nothing else had. And Bucky, well, he was just plain thrilled by it. Said it sounded "smooth and badass", like the characters in all those old crime serials they used to watch. His enjoyment was contagious, and it was clearly getting to his best friend.

She sealed the deal with Make a Memory. Steve was nothing if not nostalgic.

Their trip took an interesting turn around halfway through when some soccer mom in a suburban (on her cell phone no less) tried to cut them off on the parkway, forcing Bucky to swerve almost completely off the road. It was like flipping a switch.

One second, he'd been cheerfully going on about a song he vaguely remembered from the 40s that he was absolutely convinced Bon Jovi had stolen a line from. The next, _spysassin mode_ _activated_. Darcy frantically reached for the grab handle as the brunet performed a frankly terrifying maneuver she couldn't quite believe she was experiencing. Steve's arm had come around the seat at some point, banding just under her bust like a belt of iron, securing her in place. She could feel his warm breath tickling her ear as he leaned over her shoulder, eyes fixed ahead.

 _Somehow,_ they ended up firmly back in their original lane, soccer mom breaking so hard behind them from surprise that she damn near shredded her tires. They peeled out, speeding on ahead until the startled woman was out of sight.

Steve released her with a brief squeeze, leaving her to stare wide eyed over at Bucky, who hadn't once taken his eyes off the road. She wasn't even sure he'd blinked.

"Buck?" Steve called softly from the back. He waited a moment before reaching forward to clasp the other man gently on the shoulder. "All good?"

Darcy watched as Bucky slowly drew in a deep breath, visibly loosening his grip on the steering wheel as he relaxed. Blinking, he licked his lips. "Yeah Stevie, all good." He sounded a little strained.

After another couple of deep breaths he turned to regard Darcy, concerned. "Sorry about that doll. Reflex. You alright?" He scanned her briefly, eyes flicking between her and the road.

Sometimes she forgot Bucky was a still recovering, brainwashed ex assassin. It had been forever and a day since he'd had an episode. Hell, this little occurrence wasn't even a blip on the radar when compared to some of his past freak outs. She had to admit though, she could see why he felt he wasn't quite up to being put on the Avengers roster just yet.

He was starting to look a little guilty. Now that just wouldn't do. Darcy smiled reassuringly at him.

"No worries, Steve did an upstanding job of mimicking my seatbelt. I'm all good." She met and held his gaze easily, making a point to use their words from a moment ago. Nodding to himself, the last bit of tension seemed to leak from his form. Clearing his throat, he addressed Steve.

"Hey punk, how much farther we got?"

Steve took the hint and squinted down at his phone. "Uh, probably another thirty minutes. We're making good time, seeing as how you speed every chance you get." He smirked, "We might even have time to stop for a bite before the show starts."

"Speed limits are for people who can't handle their vehicles." Bucky stated smugly. "I, on the other hand, am completely in control."

Darcy snorted, "heh, if that's what we're calling it."

"What was that doll?" His tone was deceptively casual, but she could tell Bucky was a little miffed. She could clearly see Steve grinning at her in the mirror.

"Oh nothing. I just thought that turn we made a few miles back, you know, the one where we blew through the stop sign? I just thought that was a little reckless is all. No biggie."

"For the last time, that was a _yield,_ not a stop. Besides, there was nobody there, we were completely fine. Weren't we fine Steve?"

The blonde ducked his head to hide his mirth. "Yeah, sure thing Buck. Totally fine."

Despite his indignant tone, a small smile was now firmly back on Bucky's face, and it warmed her heart to see it there. The remainder of the trip passed quickly, filled by Darcy's vast knowledge of cheesy 80s music, cracks from Steve about why he was the better driver _("Excuse you. Of the two of us, which is the one that crashed a_ _plane into the Arctic?_ _Yeah, that's what I thought. Now shush."),_ and a half remembered tale about a band they'd gone to see, and subsequently, a dame who'd given Steve his first kiss, which the good captain would neither confirm nor deny.

They even found a good twenty minutes at the end to duck into a tiny roadside diner and grab a bite to-go.

Darcy wandered aimlessly by the row of merchandise booths, in search of the perfect t-shirt while she waited. It was the big break before Bon Jovi would finally come on and Bucky had gone to get them all some snacks. Steve, after double checking that she had her taser with her, had taken the opportunity and ducked into the nearest restroom. The opening acts had been pretty good, though nothing to write home about. She was still definitely going to be looking up a couple of their songs when she got back to the tower.

Eyeing a tote bag with Jon's face on it, she considered her options. She'd already snagged a leather cuff for Bucky, now she just needed something for her and Steve. _Maybe he'd like a poster?_ She was just about to head across to the next booth (they had some really sweet coffee mugs she wanted to check out) when an elbow nudged its way into her side, making her jump. Squeaking in surprise, she spun, coming face to face with Bucky's snack-laden hands.

"You really oughta pay more attention to your surroundings doll." he mumbled around a mouthful of fries. Plucking her nachos from where they were being precariously cradled in the crook of his arm, Darcy ignored his comment.

"You forgot Cap's pretzel." she said instead, popping a large bite of cheesy, crunchy goodness into her mouth. _Mmmm nachos._ Her one true weakness.

"Nah, I ran into him by the lemonade stand. He went back to save our seats. Said he saw a couple of punks movin' in. You ready to head back? Band should be on soon."

A bolt of exhilaration shook through her. Just a few more minutes and she'd see her idol! Second only to maybe Ben & Jerry, Jon Bon Jovi was the unofficial love of her life. She hadn't been to see him in concert since she was eleven and her mom had won tickets in a raffle at the state fair. This was a _very_ big deal. "Yeah, just gimme a sec. I was thinking about grabbing Steve a mug. Any idea which one he'd like?" She led the way over, gesturing to the rows upon rows of band merch. "Plus I need to get a t-shirt. I always get one at concerts, I've practically got a collection going at this rate."

Bucky hummed thoughtfully, leaning down to take a long gulp of soda through a bendy straw as he scoped out the top shelf. After a moment he nodded to the one on the far left. "That one." Standing on her tiptoes to see which he meant, a smile broke out across her face when she saw it. It was one of those large, over-sized mugs you could eat just about anything out of. She had an entire stockpile of them at home. Steve had always been entertained by her insistence on using them for everything. Now he can have one of his own! It was blue, with various lines of colorful lyrics swooping all over it, coming to center around the bands logo. The design had a lot going on, very artsy. Steve was gonna love it.

"Oh that's perfect!" digging her wallet out, Bucky waited patiently to the side while she stood on line and paid. The sound of drums suddenly booming, followed immediately by cheers and screams had her scrambling to gather her things. Booking it past Bucky, the super soldier actually had to work to keep up with her as she damn near sprinted for the third row.

"Excuse us... Pardon me sir... Coming through!" The two sidled quickly down the line of seats as the show began. Plopping down, only to start bouncing in her seat next to Steve, she beamed. _Yes Yes Yes!_

"Try to remember to breath Darcy." he grinned, meeting Bucky's cheerful eyes over her head.

"Heh yeah, we'll be lucky if she doesn't faint at this rate." The brunette agreed.

"Hey!" she cried, laughing as she tried to elbow the two of them. She only succeeded in almost spilling her nachos. _Bless Steve and his superhuman reflexes._ Emboldened by her good mood, he plucked a chip from the container, meeting her playful glare as he slipped it into his mouth, slowly licking the cheese sauce off his lips. Surprised, her mouth dropped open.

Bucky snorted. Dropping his metal arm across her shoulders, he stole a chip for himself as Jon Bon Jovi stepped out onto the stage. Around them, the crowd went wild. You Give Love a Bad Name started to play...

What followed continued to be one of the greatest nights of her life.

Later that evening as they were walking her to her room, tired and happy, Darcy came to a horrifying realization.

She had forgotten her t-shirt.

Spinning on her heels, she stared wide-eyed up at Bucky. _"Oh no."_

"What is it doll?" He frowned down at her. Steve, who had been lagging behind doing something Avenger-y on his phone, blinked as he came to a halt beside them. "Everything alright?"

"I forgot to get a t-shirt! This was my big chance and I _missed_ it." She took a deep breath and willed the dreaded tears back.

They'd had a good night. A fabulous night! She and the boys had gotten on great, as per usual. Hell they'd even flirted a little. At least, that's what she secretly hoped was the case. It was just a t-shirt. She refused to let it spoil her fun. This was a good memory and she was going to keep it that way.

Mustering her resolve, she smiled and shrugged.

"You know what, it's fine. No biggie. There'll be other concerts and I can always get one at Hot Topic or maybe online or whatever. Forget it." Turning, she marched the remaining ten feet to her door and dug her keys out of her messenger bag. "You guys wanna come in for some coffee or something?" she asked, glancing over at them hopefully.

Bucky caught Steve's eye and they both nodded, turning to smile at her.

"Sure doll we'd love to. But there's actually something we should probably give to you first." He gestured to Steve, who began fishing around in the bag she'd given him with his mug in it, pulling out... _Oh my god._

"I saw you looking at it right before we split up, during the intermission. You seemed really into it so I showed Buck, and, well. We thought we'd surprise you." He held it out.

She came forward and took it almost reverently. "Probably should have shown it to you earlier though huh." He scratched the back of his head ruefully.

"Guys this... this is perfect."

It was black, with the logo and usual tour dates on the back. But the front... oh the front was gorgeous. It was one of their old group shots from back in the day. Full on 80s style and everything.

Darcy really had to fight not to cry now.

Hugging the shirt to her chest she darted forward, hopping up on her tiptoes to kiss first one then the other on the cheek. Steve turned pink. Bucky ducked his head, but he was grinning. "Have I told you how much I love and appreciate you guys? Cause I do. A lot."

"So..." She spun around again to hide the faint blush dusting her own cheeks and made for her apartment. "about that coffee?"

"Sounds like a plan." ... and they spent the next couple of hours lounging across her couch, delicious coffee in hand, bickering playfully about which song was the best part. Steve even used his new mug.

It was a good night.

* * *

 **Please review! Questions, comments, and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
